


Movie

by lesbigaygf



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Amber and Jonah are like besties it's great, Christmas, F/F, First Kiss, M/M, Mistletoe, Mutual Pining, Pining, Secret Santa, mostly jyrus with some uhhh subtle ambi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 06:04:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13541280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbigaygf/pseuds/lesbigaygf
Summary: Jonah was in a daze. One big, fat daze, and he couldn’t figure out exactly why, but he felt it had something to do with what Cyrus said about love. Sure, it wasn’t the most profound thing in the world, but, when it came to Cyrus, it didn’t take a lot to make Jonah happy._______________After Cyrus' coming out, and with some help from Amber, Jonah has a realisation of his own.





	Movie

Jonah and Andi never officially got together. They would both be lying if they said they didn’t have still have some lingering feelings for each other, but they would also both be lying if they said they weren’t tired; Andi was tired of being insecure and having to be ‘on’ all the time. Jonah was tired of the GHC acting like the only reason he was there was to be Andi’s boyfriend; he wanted to be one of them. Both of them were so sick of walking on egg shells around each other that they decided they were much better as friends- at least for now.  
Jonah was still hanging out with Amber, even if the rest of the group had cut her off completely. Amber would come to his house almost every day. They would watch movie after movie, and talk for hours, and even shop online- well, they would point at the screen and say “I’d wear that”. The rest of the GHC are pretty weirded out by their friendship (and rightfully so) but they know not to bring it up, most of the time (sometimes Buffy can’t help herself).  
Cyrus broke up with Iris. They still hang out and talk all the time, despite how hard it sometimes is for Iris. When his friends asked him why they broke up, he finally came out to them- and it was super emotional and dramatic. Buffy obviously already knew about Cyrus, and this sent Andi into a whole spiral of confusion, but, being the friend that she is, she managed to pull herself out to be there for him. Everyone seemed fine with it on the surface. Jonah was flashing his signature, sun-beam smile, so he must’ve also been fine with it, right?

 

When Jonah came home, Amber was already on the sofa, a bowl of popcorn in her lap, eyes locked to her phone. She looked more comfortable than she has ever looked when they were dating, in Jonah’s opinion. In grey sweats and no makeup, she looked like she was happy, like she belonged there. She didn’t even look up when the door slammed after Jonah. Or when he dumped his jacket on the floor in front of her. Or even when he threw himself on the sofa beside her. She just sniggered at something on her phone screen.

“Iris totally thinks we’re dating” she said. After a few seconds of not hearing the same amused reaction from her friend, her eyes left her phone. She frowned at him, but his face was something further from a frown; his eyes were frozen and his mouth was hanging open in a confused ‘O’ shape. “What’s wrong?”  
He looked at her, opened and closed his mouth a few times, like he was trying to think of ways to start his sentence, and said: “I have to tell you something, okay?"  
“Okay-“  
“And you can’t tell anyone! Not even Iris!”  
“Yeah, sure that’s fine, Jonah. What is it?” Her face became increasingly contorted, as her concern grew.  
Jonah breathed in deeply and got up off the sofa, pacing now. “You know Cyrus, right?”  
“Yes, Jonah, we’ve met several times. I’m pretty sure you were there for all of them…”  
“Yeah, well, guess what? He’s gay” he stopped pacing and looked down at Amber, analysing her reaction. She raised her eyebrows slightly, but then returned to her same nonchalant expression.  
“Honestly, I’m not surprised. Like I know I should’ve told Iris this, or whatever, but I could kinda tell”.  
“Amber!”  
“What?” Jonah just stared, his eyes still wide and frantic. “Jeez Jonah! It’s not bad to be gay, I’m not saying it as like an insult, I could just tell. Calm down!” Her friend ignored her request and went back to pacing.  
“I’m freaking out. Like legit, for realz, freaking out”.  
“Why?”  
That question stopped Jonah in his tracks. He contemplated it for a few seconds and fell into the sofa lifelessly.  
“I don’t know. It’s just very…” This time it was Amber who was analysing Jonah, trying to figure out what’s going through his head. “Weird? No, not weird. Just, new?”  
“…new?” Amber looked confused.  
“Different”.  
“Different?” Her expression turned to one of sadness.  
“No- well, I don’t know. It’s just, like, one of those things. I always knew it happened, I always knew people were gay; it’s just a thing people know, but it’s in the back of their heads, like way, way, way back. You know?”  
“I…guess?”  
“It’s like- okay,” Jonah paused to think about what he was going to say this time, stopping the words flowing from his mouth, like running water. He couldn’t meet Amber’s eyes, however much he wanted to, so he just looked into the popcorn, that was now between them on the black sofa. “I knew gay people existed. I knew it’s okay to be gay and that homophobic people are bad.” Amber nodded along with his explanation. “But I’ve never seen it up close before, if that makes sense? Like, even though I know it’s a thing with other people, I never considered that it would be a possibility for someone here. Like Cyrus? He’s my bro! I never thought about that stuff, even if you could just tell, or whatever.” Amber laughed a small, close-mouthed laugh. “I always thought that, for people here, it’s just boys and girls that go together. Other things never even came to my mind. And now it’s another option. Like, you could go with a girl, or I could go with a boy. Or whatever, I don’t know”.

Amber smiled, looking relieved, and hugged her friend. “It’s okay, you just need some time to wrap your head around it”. Jonah smiled back, as she pulled away.  
“I know, I know. You’re totally right. I don’t even know why I was freaking out so much…”  
“It’s fine. You don’t have to be 100% okay with it, immediately. Just, don’t let Cyrus know you’re freaking out this much about the whole gay thing”.  
“Yeah, of course! The fact that he felt he couldn’t tell me before? I gotta up my friend-game, man”. Amber laughed. “This must’ve been so hard for him, figuring it out, all on his own. If he knew I was having a hard time with it, it would-“  
“-break his heart?” Amber suggested.  
“Exactly”  
It was just then that Jonah’s parents returned home. They greeted Amber with friendly, rosy smiles and asked the pair how they would be spending their night. Amber explained that she was finally getting Jonah to watch Legally Blonde with her (the night before he had dismissed it as a girly, boring chick flick). Then the parents said their goodnight’s and went upstairs. There was a brief moment of quiet, in which the two of them were both holding their laughter back, before Amber broke the silence.  
“They totally think we’re dating, too.” Amber laughed, and Jonah laughed with her, and they both become giggling messes.  
“Ew” Jonah remarked, between his laughs. Amber’s eyebrows shot up and she jokingly threw a fistful of pop corn at him.  
“Ew? Ew? Am I that bad? Huh?” Jonah continued to giggle and nodded a yes. “Shut up!” Amber hit Jonah with a pillow, both of them laughing. After five full minutes of laughing and insulting each other, their cheeks aching thoroughly, Amber lifted the remote and pressed play on the movie. Jonah actually ended up really enjoying it. It wasn’t what he expected, but that somehow made him love it even more. In the middle of the film Jonah’s expression suddenly turned to one of pure guilt.

“What? What is it?” Amber asked, worriedly.  
“I was supposed to keep the Cyrus thing on the DL…” He winced and gritted his teeth as he spoke. Amber gave him a sad smile.  
“Jonah, you’re the worst” the two of them laughed and returned to the movie. Jonah could hardly remember why he was so freaked out, earlier.

 

In the spoon, four teenagers were pondering what to get each other for Christmas. Secret Santa was an annual tradition for the GHC- albeit not a very original one. This year, however, was different; a fourth member had been added. They each had chosen their names from the empty baby tater basket, and some were more confident in their gift ideas than others. Jonah was day dreaming about all the different things he could possibly get for Andi, but all he could come up with was craft supplies, or maybe something to do with ultimate, or maybe something to commemorate their friendship? None of his ideas seemed sufficient, in his eyes.  
“I’ve got it”. Buffy looked up from her phone, confidently. “Don’t even bother trying to get a better present than mine, guys. I’ve already won”  
Andi made a fake-impressed face and Buffy did a few bows and curtseys. Cyrus laughed, but still looked stressed as ever.  
“Buffy, it’s secret Santa. It’s not a competition”  
“But,” Buffy began, before the rest of the group finished her sentence for her.  
“-can it be?” the GHC all said in unison. Buffy couldn’t help but laugh, and feel so fond of her friends who knew her so well. Eventually, Andi and Buffy decided to walk home together, leaving Jonah and Cyrus in the booth. Cyrus tended to cling to the belief that he and Jonah were complete opposites, with nothing in common, but that couldn’t be further from the truth; they were both clueless. For example, gift ideas. They were both clueless about gift ideas.  
“Dude, I can’t be the only one completely stumped on what to get, right?” Jonah looked at Cyrus, who had his face in his hands in frustration. Cyrus stared up at his friend from between his fingers.  
“Every year I completely fail and get an awful gift, but this year? Oh, boy, it’s going to be laughable!”  
“Maybe we can help each other then. Who did you get?” Cyrus lifted his head from the cocoon he made within his hands and scrunched up his face.  
“Jonah, you may not be the best at English but I know you know what secret means”  
Jonah fell into his seat. “I just really don’t wanna mess this up, man. I feel like if I get a really amazing gift it could, like, secure my place in the group”  
“I see your point, but as far as I know you’ve had a seat at our table for a while now. You don’t have to worry about us ditching you, or whatever” Jonah smiled at his friend, and received another sweet smile in return.  
“Yeah, I know you guys wouldn’t do that. I’ve just never really had friends like you”  
Cyrus looked both surprised and proud of himself, for being such a good friend, and made a “Huh” noise to show this. Jonah couldn’t get the smile off his face.

Suddenly, Amber crashed into the empty seat opposite the two. “So, who’d you get?” She was acting like she had been in the conversation all along. Jonah couldn’t help but notice how Cyrus froze up, slightly, upon Amber’s arrival.

“What?” Jonah asked.  
“Secret Santa” she explained. “Who’d you get?”  
“How did you even know we were doing secret Santa?” Cyrus asked, genuinely curious.  
“I work here? I’ve been here literally all night?”  
“Watching us?”  
“Stalking us?” Jonah joked, earning a small shove from Amber.  
“Shut up, I was not stalking you. It’s just super boring here, and you guys looked like you were having fun. My eyes may have … wandered over, a few times” Jonah laughed and Cyrus looked threatened by the idea of Amber watching them while they ate (again, rightfully so). “So, who’d you guys get?”  
The two boys turned their papers towards Amber, making sure it was only her who could see. They both looked at her with faces that read ‘I know, I got the worst person I could have possibly picked’, but Amber only chuckled and said: “You guys will be fine. I’m pretty sure the people you have are super easy to please, they’ll love whatever you get them. Don’t worry about it”  
“Don’t worry about it?” Cyrus questioned, loudly, crumpling his paper into a fist and slamming his fist on the table, for dramatic effect. “Have you met me?”  
“Cyrus! It’s fine!” Cyrus looked defeated. He then looked past Amber, out of the restaurant window, grabbed his coat, and stood up.  
“My stepdads here” He began to ease his way out of The Spoon. “Catcha later!” He made finger guns at Jonah and turned to walk out.  
“Adios!” Jonah yelled, in Cyrus’ direction. Amber laughed at the two of them.  
“You guys are so lame.”

 

Amber was at Jonah’s house, the Friday before Christmas. While Jonah scanned Netflix for something to watch, Amber was preparing dough balls for the two of them, in Jonah’s kitchen. It was the middle of the day and, despite the winds that thrashed through the harsh December air, the sun was beaming into the house. Jonah was struggling to find something he and Amber hadn’t already watched together, furrowing his eyebrows and thinking “Nope, not that one. Not that one. No. Nope. No…”

“I have an idea for Andi’s present.” Amber shouted, from the kitchen. “She got you that bracelet last year, and you totally broke her heart and gave it to me…”  
“You said you wanted it! You were crying! Also, where are my dough balls?”  
“Oh, yeah, I did do that. Sorry.” She replied, ignoring the last question. “Anyway, why don’t you make her a bracelet? Or, right, even better, a necklace. And it could be like a locket! Yeah! And you could put her face in it- actually, no, that’s weird. You could put a picture of your whole group in it, or like her family or something. You could buy it for her and just put the picture in, but it really shows you care if you learn the whole skill for her, y’know?” Jonah was impressed by how considerate she was being about Andi’s present and how Andi would react to it. “Actually, scratch that, you could get her a bunch of hair clips. You know how she’s always putting the front of her hair up with those little clips? You could totally like get a bunch and personalise them, with sequins or whatever. I don’t know, it’s just an idea.” Amber then came through the door and into the living room, carrying dough balls on a plate. She put them on the coffee table in front of them, and Jonah couldn’t help but reach out to grab one. They were far too hot and Jonah retracted his hand and hissed at the pain.

“No, they’re all great ideas Amber, thanks! How did you come up with all those?” Amber shrugged and frowned at Jonah, defensively, when the doorbell rang. Jonah assumed it was his mom or dad, and was surprised when he was face to face with Cyrus Goodman.

He felt something, right then- nothing too alarming, but a feeling he didn’t often get when looking at his friends. It’s the feeling you get when you think you’re getting socks for your birthday, but instead you get the Frisbee you’ve been wanting for months. Or, the feeling you get when you’re watching one of those teen movies and the plain girl gets some make over and becomes the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen. Not that he thinks of his parents as the equivalent of socks or some plain movie-girl, but seeing Cyrus that day was just a pleasant surprise. Yeah; it was a pleasant surprise.

“Cy-guy! What are you doing here?” Jonah greeted, leaning against the doorframe.  
“Hey, Bro-nah Beck! Buffy and Andi are out shopping and they said I couldn’t come, so I assume I’m one of their Secret Santa’s” Cyrus suddenly became reserved and began distancing himself from Jonah, by folding his arms and looking anywhere but his face. “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to, like, hang out, or something. Or, whatever, I don’t mind, only if you want to. In fact, I’m sorry, I’ll just head home” Cyrus spun around and began to walk away, but Jonah pulled on his shoulder and swiftly moved him into the house.  
“We can totally hang out, man. I’d love to; I’ve got Netflix, and snacks. Just, one small problem: Amber’s here” Cyrus raised his eyebrows and said 'oh' under his breath. “I don’t know how you two are. I’m pretty sure she’s cool with you, but I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable”  
“Uncomfortable? Nah, it’s all good Jo-Jo. She used to terrify me, but I can face my fears. It’s no big deal”  
“You were scared of Amber?”  
“You cannot say you haven’t at least been a little intimidated by her” The pair glanced through the doorframe, into the living room, at the girl in question, to find her in her sweats (again), stuffing two dough balls in her mouth at once. The boys looked at each other and laughed. Cyrus blushed from embarrassment, and Jonah couldn’t look away.

 

Ten minutes later, all three of them were sat side-by-side, Jonah in the middle, watching Love Actually, on Jonah’s big TV. Cyrus argued that they were too young to watch a 15; Amber argued that most romance movies are lame; Jonah argued that most Christmas movies are lame (to which Cyrus said: “If I’m Jewish and I can deal with cheesy Christmas movies, so can you”), but they all agreed they wanted to watch something funny, so they stuck with it.

“Are you crying?” Cyrus asked Amber, once the end credits rolled.  
“What? No?” Amber replied, wiping the mascara from under her eyes.  
“She cries at every movie” Jonah remarks, making Amber cover her face and laugh in humility.  
“Every movie? Even, like, Camp Rock?”  
“Especially Camp Rock” Jonah jokes. The three of them laugh and Cyrus asks them all what they thought of the movie.  
“It was funny, I liked it. But it was pretty cheesy, as I predicted” said Jonah.  
“To be honest, it was the cheesiness that made me cry” Amber began. “Everyone was just so happy. It was kinda sweet. However…”  
“However?!” Cyrus yelled, leaning forward from the sofa, making Jonah laugh giddily.  
“Will you let me finish?” Amber raised an eyebrow at Cyrus, and he retracted into his seat. “I just think that some of the couples didn’t make any sense. Like the one who liked his best friends’ wife? Did he even get with her at the end? Her kissing him was so stupid…”  
“It was like a good-bye kiss!” He fumbled on his answer.  
“…And don’t get me the one where they each spoke a different language. They shouldn’t have gotten together, like how would that even work?”  
“Yes, exactly!” Jonah exclaimed. Cyrus looked at the two like they had lost their minds.  
“How do you fall in love with someone without even talking first? That’s crazy!”  
Cyrus was smiling at the two, but looked shocked at their answers. “You two are… sad! You just don’t understand true love!”  
“Okay, Cyrus, then explain to me how you can fall for someone without even saying two words to them?” Amber demanded.  
“Well…”  
“Well?” Amber repeated, smugly.  
“Let me finish! Well, okay, my opinion? At first, it wasn’t love. It was just two people, who both had really huge crushes on each other”  
“Yes, exactly; it wasn’t love. You get married for love, not for a little crush…”  
“But it’s more than that! Like, they didn’t have to learn the other person’s language. What turned the crushes into love was their own commitment to the other person. It’s about whether they’re willing to let the person go. You could have a crush on someone and then choose to never speak to them, but if you decide to make a move it could turn into a whole… thing! The fact that their feelings were so strong that they’d rather learn a whole other language than let the other one go shows that they want to love each other. They’re already like, committed, if you get what I mean.”  
Amber sighed, defeated, smiled and said: “Okay, I get what you mean. I still think Bend It Like Beckham is the best British movie out there, but I guess your little explanation made some sense”

Cyrus smiled with pride, and they continued to discuss movies that they liked. Their tastes were pretty different, but they still could each ramble on to each other.  
Meanwhile, Jonah was in a daze. One big, fat daze, and he couldn’t figure out exactly why, but he felt it had something to do with what Cyrus said about love. Sure, it wasn’t the most profound thing in the world, but, when it came to Cyrus, it didn’t take a lot to make Jonah happy. And Jonah wanted to hear Cyrus say more things, and Jonah wanted Cyrus to wax poetic about love and life and stupid, cheesy, Christmas movies. As Cyrus spoke to Amber, Jonah tried to tune into what he was saying, but kept accidentally drowning Cyrus out with his own stupid inner-monologue. He tried to focus in on his lips and read the words he was forming. However, he ended up losing his train of thought and just sat there, staring at his friends’ lips, for what felt like forever. When he finally managed to pull his eyes away, Amber was looking at him knowingly. Jonah didn’t have the energy to worry about what Amber knew, but he had a feeling she would bring whatever it is up later.

“I think I’m gonna…” Cyrus motioned towards the door. He and Amber had been talking for a while, with Jonah chipping in every now and then. They talked about movies and books, about everything that had gone down between Andi and her, and about feeling like Christmas is being shoved down your throat (Amber had no idea what her family was going to do for Christmas, no matter how many times her dad assured her it would ‘be the same as every year’). “Thanks for letting me stay, Jonah” Cyrus stood up and walked towards the door.  
“Bye, Cyrus. Text me, later” Amber said, as Cyrus nodded. Before Cyrus could leave the house Jonah sprung off the sofa and bolted towards the door. Cyrus was still putting his shoes on, but soon got up to leave.  
“I’ll walk you home” Jonah decided. Cyrus looked at him like that was ridiculous.  
“I live like a block away; I’ll be fine, but thank you so much for… the offer, and also the movie. It’s been…really fun”  
“Jeez, Jonah, walk him home!” Amber yelled from the living room. Jonah both subconsciously thanked her and threw a dough ball at her head.  
“If I don’t walk you home, I’m gonna have her to deal with” Jonah laughed, gesturing towards the living room. “You wouldn’t do that to me, right Cy?”  
“Fine, if you must walk me home”  
“I really must” Jonah pulled his jacket and shoes on and walked out into the night, with his friend. The air bit at his face and his hands, and it was so cold he almost regretted this. Nevertheless, looking at Cyrus, he tried to put his complaints aside.

“You and Amber were talking like all night” Jonah stated, as the two walked side by side towards Cyrus’ house. Cyrus nodded and hummed a ‘yes’. “So that means you’re getting along? Everything’s cool?”  
“I guess. I don’t know how I’m going to explain to Andi that I spent the day with her worst enemy, while her and Buffy were getting me a present, but I suppose I’ll deal with that tomorrow” Jonah felt a twinge of guilt; he never meant to get Cyrus in trouble with his friends, he just wanted everyone to get along.  
“You know, she is actually a really good person” Jonah felt the need to defend his friend.  
“Yeah, she is, if you ignore all the betrayal and stuff” Jonah made a hurt face, but knew his friend was right. “I’m sorry, I know you guys are … close, or something. And tonight, she was really nice. I had a good time” They were getting close to Cyrus’ street already, but Jonah wanted to say something to Cyrus quickly, before he forgot.  
“That stuff you were saying earlier… the uh, the- like the love stuff? About the couple, who spoke different languages?”  
“Yeah, sorry for rambling on about that, I just think they’re really cute” Cyrus was embarrassed, and Jonah almost, honest to God, said ‘You’re cuter’.  
“No, it was super, like, deep” Jonah began.  
“It really wasn’t” Cyrus tried to laugh his embarrassment away.  
“It was. It was cool. I really like it when you talk like that. You should be a writer or something”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah, man, you could make books, or-uh plays. Or even movies. You’d rock at it”  
“I don’t know, nothing I make could ever live up to the brilliance of my Tater Theatre, so…”  
It was impossible for Jonah to ignore the way Cyrus wouldn’t let him compliment him. He laughed along with Cyrus and agreed that his Tater Theatre would forever reign supreme, but wished Cyrus would take his compliment seriously. The pair did their signature handshake and went their separate ways, and, as Jonah walked home, everything was silent. His inner monologue had finally shut up and he could embrace the peace without interruption.

“Get in here, Beck!” Amber yelled, from the living room, as Jonah walked through his front door. When he arrived in the living room, Amber was looking up at him with a sly look on her face. “Oh, Jonah, Jonah, Jonah…”  
“Yeah?” he replied.  
“Now, I know you’ve got your… ‘hairy crew’, or whatever” He laughed at that, but his confused expression wouldn’t budge. He moved down to the sofa, beside his friend. “And they’re all probably your best friends in the world, but I just want you to know that right now, to me, you’re my best friend”  
“…Thanks?”  
“And I’m okay with not being your best friend, but I know that I’m at least your friend. And friends don’t keep secrets, Jonah”  
“Okay?”  
“And I know you’re keeping something from me!” she said, fast and loud.  
“I’m not!” he replied, mimicking her loud volume.  
“You are! And I know what it is!”  
“I don’t!”  
“Jonah!”  
“Amber!”  
Amber took a second to calm herself, realising that, since her friend wasn’t going to tell her on his own, she would have to force the information out of him.  
“Do you like someone?” she asked, sounding like she already knew the answer. The conversation reminded him of the previous year, when Amber would constantly argue with him, furious with the certainty that he liked Andi. But on this night, she was smiling.  
“What? What would give you that idea?” he laughed because he genuinely had no idea what she was talking about.  
“Jonah, I’m serious. You can tell me” There was a brief pause, in which Amber could see the gears turning in his head. “Do you like Cyrus?”  
There was a fleeting sinking feeling in Jonah’s stomach, like a big secret had just been ripped from his head and exposed to the world. Except, he didn’t think he liked Cyrus. Cyrus is his friend. That’s the only thing he could say in his defence.  
“What? Cyrus is my friend”  
“Of course, he is. But is he a friend like me? Or like Andi? Or Buffy?”  
Amber was throwing a lot of information at Jonah and the pieces of the puzzle in his brain were all beginning to find their place.  
“…Or maybe” Amber continued. “He’s a friend like last year-Andi, before you decided to be just-friends” It wasn’t a suggestion or a question. It was a statement, like she was dead certain that everything she was saying was true.  
“No” he began, talking slowly. “No it’s- it’s- it’s different with him, okay?” Amber nodded along, but he was more or less talking to himself. “I can’t explain it”  
“Try” Amber pushed and Jonah grew tired of her pushing. She acted like she knew him inside and out, and she probably did, but Jonah was sick of her trying to pick his brain for gossip.  
“I’m going to bed –“  
“It’s not even late!” Jonah ignored Amber and walked up to his room. “Jeez, sorry!” she yelled up to him. “You have to answer my questions, sooner or later!”

 

The following morning Amber made Jonah an apology breakfast. She explained that she shouldn’t have pushed so hard, when he wasn’t comfortable, but she just wanted to have a friend who she tells everything to and they do the same in return. Jonah understood and forgave her in a flash. He did that a lot. Some would say that’s a good thing (probably Cyrus), whereas others would say it’s a stupid, stupid mistake (definitely Buffy).

 

Jonah went out for the day to practice Frisbee in the park, which he did most days if he wasn’t with the GHC or Amber. He usually went alone, but it was almost guaranteed that one of his team mates would find him there and join him. Cyrus was never someone he had planned on seeing that day, which was okay because Cyrus never really came to the park this early. And yet, there he was.  
After the talk with Amber, Jonah did some thinking. He tried to ignore every idea that came into his head and it worked, to an extent. However, all those ideas came rushing back to him that morning when he saw Cyrus waiting for him in the park.  
“You waiting for me, Cy-guy?” Jonah greeted, startling Cyrus. When he saw Jonah he smiled and turned to face him, revealing a small camera in his hands. “A…camera?”.  
“That’s right! I thought about what you said and thought I could make a movie”  
“A movie?” Jonah was thrilled that Cyrus had actually listened to what he said. Something in his stomach fluttered. His internal monologue grew louder. He mentally shushed it away.  
“Yep- well, a short film. And I’ve decided that I would like you to be my star” Jonah couldn’t have been happier- he was beaming. Cyrus lifted the camera, so that it was aimed at his friend’s face. “Smile!” Jonah lowered his head, embarrassed, but still smiled, and Cyrus tilted his head and smiled empathetically back at him. “You don’t have to be in it if you don’t want to. You were just the first person I thought of” Jonah lifted his head and felt flattered. He also suddenly realised how close together they were standing. “And after everything you said last night…” Jonah nervously gulped down his feelings, whatever feelings they were. “…I just thought you deserve to be the star”.

And that’s how Jonah ended up doing Frisbee tricks for Cyrus pretty much the whole morning. They were the same tricks he always did, but Cyrus cheered every time, like it was all new to him. Soon Jonah grew tired and the two sat down on a bench for the ‘interview portion of the documentary’ (as Cyrus called it).  
“So, do I talk about the space otters, or Frisbee in general, or what?” Jonah asked, suddenly growing nervous in front of the camera.  
“No, silly, talk about yourself. Tell the camera anything about yourself,” Jonah scoured his brain for all the different things he could talk about, but none of them seemed good enough. He scratched the back of his neck and looked around the park, at all the people who were suddenly there. Most of them were minding their own business, but every time one happened to look over Jonah froze; he didn’t want to ruin Cyrus’ first movie, let alone with an audience. “Or if it makes you uncomfortable, you could tell me” So Jonah shifted his gaze, met Cyrus’ warm eyes, and tried to string a sentence together for his friend.  
“Okay, well I love ultimate- you know that- and skateboarding, and video games. I like the colour blue. My favourite animal is a hammer head shark; they’re docious” The word earned Jonah a smile from Cyrus.  
“And movies?” Cyrus suggested.  
“Yeah, kinda. I’m more getting into them now, because Amber likes to watch them when she comes over” Then Cyrus visibly stiffened, and his smile faltered.  
“Why… don’t you tell the camera about Amber?”  
“Amber? I thought I was the star of this movie” Jonah joked.  
“Yeah, but Amber’s important to you, right?”  
“Yeah, sure. Okay, yeah, I’ll talk about Amber…”  
Jonah talked about Amber for a couple of minutes, and Cyrus’ smile seemed to fall even more with every word he said. Jonah needed to fix that.  
“How about I talk about you?”  
“Me?” Cyrus jolted up, smile slightly returning. “You want to talk about me? Why?”  
“You’re important to me too” Everything around the boys, the air, the wind, the sounds, suddenly became soft, warm, and sweet, like honey. “You’re right up there with ultimate and Amber and the hammer head…you probably beat them on my list, even” Cyrus blushed, causing Jonah to honestly say “Cute…” under his breath.  
“What?”  
“What?” He really was hopeless.

 

Christmas came and went. The family came to visit and everything was bright and loud and happy. Amber began her Christmas at home, but moved onto Jonah’s sofa at three in the morning. Jonah invited Cyrus to his family’s Christmas party, but he said he didn’t want to intrude or be a bother.  
“Cyrus didn’t come last night?” Amber asked, over a bowl of cereal, boxing day morning. Jonah shook his head, his face forlorn. “Damn. I had a whole plan to get you two together at the Christmas party”.  
Jonah furrowed his brows. “Amber, you weren’t even at the Christmas party”.  
“I can work my magic from a distance” Amber winked and Jonah wondered what ‘magic’ she was talking about.  
“Why are you even so certain I like him?” He didn’t deny that he did, but he questioned it. He wrongly thought that would be enough to get Amber off his back.  
“Jonah, you’re like the easiest person to read ever. I’m not clueless! God, you couldn’t stop staring at him, on Friday. You so desperately wanted to walk him home. You’re always complimenting him: calling him ‘gnarly’ or ‘docious-whatever’, even when you liked Andi. You’ve liked him for a while”.  
Jonah bowed his head. All the pieces had fallen together and it was like he was right at the beginning again: pining over one of his best friends.  
Amber continued: “The night you talked to me about him coming out, you were freaking out so much…I worried it was because you were homophobic, or something, at first. I get it now, though” He lifted his head and looked at his friend. She gave him a soft, empathetic smile and even teared up a little (She always cries, for God’s sake he thought). “I get it, Jonah”. She did get it.  
“What am I gonna do?” he asked. She held her friend’s hand, bracing him for the harsh, scary reality he had to face.  
“Tell him”.  
“I can’t do that!” he insisted, hysterically. “He’s my bro! He’ll think I’m totally weird! It’ll be just like when Andi did the whole ‘were we ever?’ speech. That was so humiliating, Amber, I can’t get rejected like that again –“  
“Trust me, you’re not gonna be rejected. He’s even more obvious than you. I ran into him yesterday at his mom’s office –“  
“You did?”  
“Yeah, and I thought after Friday it wouldn’t be awkward, but it turns out he also thinks we’re dating”  
“What?” Jonah pulled a face, which was a mixture of exhaustion and confusion.  
“I know!” Amber agreed, eyes wide. “I told him he got the wrong idea, though. And, boy, did he look happy”.  
“He did?” She nodded and paused.  
“He likes you back, Jonah”  
And then a ray of hope came from Jonah. He smiled his signature sunbeam-smile and replayed every moment he had with Cyrus back in his mind.

“So, tell me…” Jonah began, curiously. “How were you planning on getting me and Cyrus together from 5 blocks away?” Amber wiped her tears and regained her powerful, smug expression.  
“Mistletoe” Amber gestured towards the living room doorway, and as if by magic, there it was: mistletoe. “I put it there last week, but you were too oblivious to notice”.  
Jonah laughed. “I guess I am oblivious, damn”.

 

The GHC met up for the gift exchange at 5, in Andi’s apartment. For Cyrus, Buffy had compiled a scrap book of photos of the group, shots of Space Otter’s games, and some iconic movie scenes from Cyrus’ favourite films. It was perfect. Andi had gifted Buffy with a pair of sneakers she had been staring at through a store window, many months ago (Jonah wondered how she could have possibly afforded them, but quickly brushed it off). She also gave her a plastic home-made medal, with Buffy’s name engraved into the surface. Jonah gave Andi the locket Amber spoke of, and a glittery, red, home-made hair clip. Amber had made him promise not to tell Andi that she was the one behind these gifts, or that she helped him make them, and he was still pondering why she would hide her good deeds. And then there was Cyrus’ gift to Jonah.

“You were my Secret Santa?” Jonah blushed wildly. ‘Of course, he’s my secret santa’ he thought.  
“It was so hard to hide it, especially when you were asking who I got. If Amber didn’t interrupt us I definitely would have given in and told you” Cyrus spoke loudly and happily, as he handed over a flat, rectangular, wrapped box. Buffy raised one eyebrow, at the sound of Amber’s name, whereas Andi bowed her head slightly. “Oh, sorry, guys. I didn’t tell you I spoke to Amber…”  
“It’s fine, Cyrus” Andi began, laughing a little. She turned to face Jonah. “How is she? Is she, uh, doing okay?” Buffy looked startled at the fact Andi would ask such a question, but then again, so did the rest of the group.  
“She’s doing good” Jonah replied, although it was only mostly true. She was doing better; good is a bit of an exaggeration. “She misses you” That was true. Amber didn’t have to say it out right; as clueless as Jonah may be, Amber is just as easy to read as he is. Andi smiled shyly and nodded, and Jonah wondered what it would take for everyone to finally get along.

 

Cyrus’ gift to Jonah was the best one. He asked Jonah to open it once he had gotten home, which only made seeing it more emotional for him. Amber was at her house, so he was completely alone. The DVD read ‘Jonah Beck’ with a heart next to it. Jonah’s inner monologue was shrieking. The screen on the big TV, in his living room, where he once sat and watched a stupid, cheesy Christmas film beside his crush, now flooded with images of Jonah. Jonah, in the park, throwing a Frisbee. Jonah, in The Spoon, like a month ago. Jonah, winning last year’s ultimate final, his face clearly the camera’s focus. It was all there. And then there was the ‘interview portion’. Jonah, talking about everything he loved. This was how Cyrus saw him. Cyrus saw him as passionate, and caring, and a good friend. It shouldn’t have been a shocking revelation, but somehow, for Jonah, it was.

 

The film wasn’t over. The screen suddenly flashed with Andi’s smiling face, waving at him, as he stared in awe. She told Jonah all the things about him she loved, and laughed at how dramatic their time as friends has been, before finishing with a ‘Merry Christmas!’ And after Andi it was Buffy, and then Bowie and Bex, and Gus, and Marty, and Iris, and Amber. Finally, Cyrus took over the screen. Jonah had never been so happy to see him. Cyrus somehow looked even more beautiful on the big screen. He looked open, vulnerable, and Jonah was utterly captivated. Cyrus spoke of how many times Jonah would go out of his was to include Cyrus, how many times Jonah helped Cyrus feel good about himself, and how grateful he was to even know Jonah. He told the camera that he would never want to sacrifice their friendship. He said something about wanting to be as close to Jonah as he could, but Jonah could hardly hear him anymore. He had pulled an Amber and began crying at the giant screen before him. He wiped his tears, and finally listened to his screaming inner monologue; it told him to tell Cyrus how he felt.

 

When Cyrus opened the door, he looked like he had been waiting for Jonah’s arrival. Jonah’s face was red, from crying, running, and blushing, all at once. Cyrus’ breathing was deep and he was holding his own hand. Neither of them knew what was going to happen, but Jonah had come to his doorstep in the middle of the night, so something was happening.

“The end part was Buffy’s idea” Cyrus began, holding eye contact with Jonah. “She’s kinda like my version of your Amber”.  
Jonah smiled, because there was no time for being scared or sad. There was something he had to do. “I have to tell you something”  
“Me, too” Jonah didn’t expect that response, but somehow that made him love it even more.  
“Me, first” he took a deep breath. The air was cold, but he felt as if he could burst with heat. “I like you, Cyrus. And I know I’m not always a great friend, and I’m super clueless, but I want to be as close to you as I can be”. There was a pause, where they were both smiling, but Jonah was holding his breath in anticipation.  
“…I want to be your friend, Jonah” Jonah couldn’t stop the hurt look that came to his face, when Cyrus said that. “No-no-no, don’t be sad –“  
“I’m not” Jonah said, but you could hear the weight of his voice, how croaky and tearful it sounded.  
“I like you, too” he grabbed Jonah’s hands lovingly, like it was proof of what he was saying, and the smile returned to Jonah’s face in a flash. “But if something were to happen, I don’t want to lose our friendship. I don’t want to lose you -”  
“I’m not going anywhere” he came closer to Cyrus. They were breathing each other’s air. His inner monologue fell silent. “Nothing’s going to happen. It won’t be like with Amber, or with Andi. This is different”.  
“Good different?”  
They both giggled. It was perfect. “Yes, good different” There was another pause, where they just looked at each other.  
“I don’t want things to … change” Cyrus said, worriedly. Jonah held his hands tighter.  
“They don’t have to. I just want to be near you” Jonah was pouring his heart out. He didn’t care anymore.

And then Jonah kissed him. It was neither of their first kisses; Jonah had kissed Amber once or twice, and Cyrus and Iris had shared two, embarrassing moments together. But it was exactly what they needed. It was perfect. When they parted, they were both glowing with happiness. Jonah then remembered what he had brought, in his pocket, and held it over their heads.  
“Mistletoe?” Cyrus raised an eyebrow, but held an unwavering smile. “You’re a day late, Michael Bublé” Jonah laughed loudly and thought about how good Cyrus has always been at making him laugh  
“Who cares?” he asked, content. Neither of them did.


End file.
